Increased Reliability for Industrially Relevant Automatic Crack Growth Simulation with the eXtended Finite Element Method
Lead Research Organisation:
CARDIFF UNIVERSITY
Department Name: Sch of Engineering
Abstract
This project will deliver new computational modelling tools that will allow engineers working onsafety critical structures to rationally assess the effects of crack initiation and crack propagation. Suchproblems have to date remained intractable. The research will permit unprecedented understanding of crackpropagation, thereby delivering less conservative designs, and, most importantly avoid unpredictedcatastrophic failures in service. This is possible by building upon the recent success of the extended finite elementmethod (XFEM), which has emerged as a revolutionary simulation tool for modelling discontinuities and has the potential to require an order of magnitude less engineering time than conventional methods.Yet, this new method requires much reliability improvements to invade industry. By leveraging recent theoreticaland numerical developments and working hand-in-hand with future users, this project has the potential toprovide XFEM with the accuracy and robustness it requires to become the new tool of choice for structuralintegrity predictions and reconcile accuracy and computational tractability.Cracks or defects are almost always present in engineering structures. In aerospace engineering for instance, during the life of the aircraft (take offs, flights and landings), these cracks will grow under the influence of the forces applied to the structure. How do engineers ensure that, despite these growing cracks, the aircraft can still be operated safely? The idea is to regularly inspect the aircraft to monitor the major cracks. The next question is to know how often should an aircraft be inspected to prevent catastrophic failure between two inspections. To answer this question, engineers must be able to evaluate the time (number of flights) it takes for the cracks to become fatal to the structure. If it takes 1,000 flights, the maximum inspection interval should be less than 1,000. To estimate the time to failure, engineers use computer methods, where they model the behaviour of the structure using various simplifications: this is known as Damage Tolerance Analysis (DTA).However, today, existing software are still unable to provide engineers with a rational tool to assess the tolerance of a structure to damage. The proposed research has the long-term goal to provide this tool which could provide a paradigm shift in the way engineers think about simulating fracture, whereby sufficient accuracy would not be synonymous with intractable computational time or manpower.
People |
ORCID iD |
Stephane Bordas (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
RĂ³denas J
(2012)
Enhanced error estimator based on a nearly equilibrated moving least squares recovery technique for FEM and XFEM
in Computational Mechanics
Scott M
(2013)
Isogeometric boundary element analysis using unstructured T-splines
in Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering
Sheng M
(2018)
XFEM modeling of multistage hydraulic fracturing in anisotropic shale formations
in Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering
Surendran M
(2019)
Linear smoothed extended finite element method for fatigue crack growth simulations
in Engineering Fracture Mechanics
Sutula D
(2018)
Minimum energy multiple crack propagation. Part III: XFEM computer implementation and applications
in Engineering Fracture Mechanics
Sutula D
(2018)
Minimum energy multiple crack propagation. Part I: Theory and state of the art review
in Engineering Fracture Mechanics
Sutula D
(2018)
Minimum energy multiple crack propagation. Part-II: Discrete solution with XFEM
in Engineering Fracture Mechanics
Talebi H
(2013)
A computational library for multiscale modeling of material failure
in Computational Mechanics
Thai-Hoang C
(2011)
A cell - based smoothed finite element method for free vibration and buckling analysis of shells
in KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering
Valizadeh N
(2013)
NURBS-based finite element analysis of functionally graded plates: Static bending, vibration, buckling and flutter
in Composite Structures
Description | The major contribution of this grant was to devise error estimators for the simulation of fracture in aerospace components. This allows to predict the fatigue and residual life of structures undergoing fatigue numerically and to compute the error associated with the calculations, thereby providing the engineers with a firm control of the accuracy of their calculations. The work has been implemented in commercial code Morfeo Crack and is being used practically by the company Cenaero. |
Exploitation Route | Our code is implemented in a commercial code, used by the company Cenaero. |
Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Education,Electronics,Energy,Healthcare,Transport |
URL | http://legato-team.eu/ |
Description | The major contribution of this grant was to devise error estimators for the simulation of fracture in aerospace components. This allows to predict the fatigue and residual life of structures undergoing fatigue numerically and to compute the error associated with the calculations, thereby providing the engineers with a firm control of the accuracy of their calculations. The work has been implemented in commercial code Morfeo Crack and is being used practically by the company Cenaero. This work has direct impact on decreasing the factors of safety used in fatigue crack growth simulation. In turn, this enables to perform more accurate designs requiring less material for the same performance. In turn, the components designed are lighter which provides fuel and energy savings, decreases costs and alleviates negative environmental effects. We have now a full 3D adaptive crack propagation technique for aerospace. |
First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
Sector | Aerospace, Defence and Marine |
Impact Types | Societal,Economic |
Description | Cenaero |
Organisation | Cenaero |
Country | Belgium |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | We developed numerical methods for faster validation of crack propagation simulations, common in aerospace and automotive industries. During secondments we helped to transfer that technology to the software developed and commercialized by Cenaero, Morfeo. |
Collaborator Contribution | Cenaero provided access to Morfeo source code, a robust software for FEA simulations, as well as engineering support to tackle real-life problems coming from industrial applications. |
Impact | Software libraries for error estimation and adaptivity in Morfeo. |
Start Year | 2010 |